14.09°C Theatre editor Paul T. Davies reviews One Man Two Guvnors, presented by Headgate Theatre Productions at the Headgate
Divisive as he can be, James Corden gave me one of the best nights I’ve ever had in the theatre watching him perform in the original National Theatre production of this play. By coincidence, I saw it alongside Sally Broatch, now director of this incredible staging of the play at the Headgate. I wondered how on earth she would take a sweeping, epic staging and adapt it to the intimacy of the Headgate auditorium. The answer is: with ease and genius improvisation. The cast is superb, and if the first-night audience is anything to go by, the Headgate are going to have to widen its aisles to accommodate people rolling with laughter!
Heading the cast as Francis Henshall, hapless servant of two masters, Tom Hitchcock gives a masterclass in comedy. His timing is a gift to the production, his cheeky-chappy persona connects brilliantly with the audience, and his interaction with them is spot on. He is a genuinely loveable clown, and the rest of the cast feed off his energy.
Duncan Broatch is excellent as gangster Charlie Clench, Jess Burden hilarious as his thick daughter Pauline (“I don’t understand”), and Colin Lee Bennett’s asides to the audience as Lloyd are a joy (“Parkhurst”). Cameron Poulter really delivers as actor Alan, Lorena Saiano is superb as Rachel, impersonating her dead brother and in love with his killer, the mega-posh Stanley Stubbers, played by Nick Edgeworth, who’s on top of the gags and hairiness! To mitigate any offence the Carry On-style humour may cause, Elizabeth Hopland’s feisty, in-control Dolly is sassy and sexy, and John Roberts captures Latin flair and legality with ease as Harry Dangle. But it’s Paul Read as elderly waiter Alfie who almost steals the show with superb slapstick. The ensemble – with no weak links in this production – Tara Woodley, Jonathan Lloyd-Gane and a delightful Sheila Lloyd – multi-roll with ease.
Richard Bean’s adaptation of the classic Commedia dell’arte play demands a strong pace and excellent timing, and it’s here in spades. Delightful front-of-curtain turns enable slick scene changes behind the curtain, and the design is outstanding. I could go on for pages about how this is the best comedy I’ve seen for ages, but if you look for the word “joy” in the dictionary, the definition will be One Man Two Guvnors.
